CN108535289B

CN108535289B - X-ray imaging device

Info

Publication number: CN108535289B
Application number: CN201810415054.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 魏存峰; 刘宝东; 舒岩峰; 魏龙
Original assignee: Institute of High Energy Physics of CAS
Current assignee: Institute of High Energy Physics of CAS
Priority date: 2018-05-03
Filing date: 2018-05-03
Publication date: 2024-05-24
Anticipated expiration: 2038-05-03
Also published as: CN108535289A

Abstract

An X-ray imaging apparatus is disclosed, which may include: a turntable provided on the base and rotated about a longitudinal axis in a vertical direction when driven; a detector connected to the base via a first support structure passing through a central aperture of the turntable; a sample stage connected to the turntable via a second support structure; and a radiation source disposed connected to the base via a third support structure. The apparatus is capable of supporting multiple modes simultaneously, including computed tomography and computed tomography.

Description

X-ray imaging device

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of X-ray imaging, and in particular to an X-ray imaging apparatus capable of supporting multiple modes including computed tomography and computed tomography simultaneously.

Background

X-ray imaging has been widely used in the fields of medical diagnosis, industrial nondestructive testing, security inspection, scientific research, and the like. The object to be detected by a Computed Tomography (CT) apparatus for medical diagnosis is usually a human or animal, and the structure of the apparatus is relatively fixed. Compared with medical detection, the object of industrial CT detection is not fixed, and the structure of CT imaging equipment for industrial nondestructive detection is different according to different detection requirements.

The X-ray three-dimensional tomography technology dedicated to a plate-like object such as a chip can three-dimensionally image the internal structure of the plate-like object without damaging the plate-like object. Such a computer tomography (CL) technique can effectively solve the problem caused by the excessively large optical path difference of incident X-rays in both directions of a perpendicular sample surface and a parallel sample surface in the case of applying a computer tomography method to a plate-like object.

To be compatible with conventional CT modes and to fully utilize existing sources and detectors, additional transverse turrets are often required for devices employing CL technology, and the turrets are required to be installed or removed in the event of a switch between CL and CT modes.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an X-ray imaging apparatus, which may include: a turntable provided on the base and rotated about a longitudinal axis in a vertical direction when driven; a detector connected to the base via a first support structure passing through a central aperture of the turntable; a sample stage connected to the turntable via a second support structure; and a radiation source disposed connected to the base via a third support structure.

The X-ray imaging device according to embodiments of the present disclosure can employ different imaging modes for different samples, such as multi-angle projection imaging, CT imaging, CL imaging, and the like. Each imaging mode is capable of freely adjusting magnification, imaging field of view, etc., enabling different spatial resolutions. Different imaging modes can share the same sample stage support structure, so that cost can be effectively saved, and rapid switching between different imaging modes is facilitated.

In addition, in the X-ray imaging apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, only the turn table rotates during CL scanning, and the degree of freedom of movement is low, so that high-precision scanning and detection can be controlled and realized; moreover, any region of interest of the sample can be imaged by adjusting the position of the sample, so that the imaging device has high flexibility.

Drawings

Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic structural diagram of an X-ray imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Methods and systems according to embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the described embodiments are merely some, but not all embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic structural diagram of an X-ray imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 1, an X-ray imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a radiation source 2, a detector 4, a turntable 6, and a sample stage 7. In addition, the X-ray imaging apparatus may further include a control unit 10.

The radiation source 2 may be any suitable device capable of generating, for example, X-rays.

In one embodiment, the radiation source 2 may be connected to the control unit 10 by respective control lines or connection lines, and may receive control instructions and parameters from the control unit 10 by respective control lines or connection lines in order to generate and emit X-rays meeting desired requirements (e.g. having a desired intensity and/or angle). In a further embodiment, the radiation source 2 may also communicate with the control unit 10 in a wireless manner.

The radiation source 2 may be connected to the base 1 of the device by a corresponding support structure 3. According to various embodiments, the spatial position of the source 2 may be fixed or may be movable in three dimensions.

Accordingly, the support structure 3 for connecting the radiation source 2 and the base 1 may have a fixed shape or structure, or may have a deformable or adjustable structure such as a robotic arm.

In case the support structure 3 has a variable shape or an adjustable structure, the shape of the support structure 3 may be changed manually. In further embodiments, the support structure 3 may also be designed to include suitable control and drive mechanisms inside it, so that the external shape can be changed by different drive means, e.g. hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, mechanical, etc., so that the radiation source 2 can be moved and/or positioned in three dimensions to a desired position. Examples of such support structures 3 may include, for example, multi-degree of freedom robotic arms.

The sample stage 7 may be a thin flat plate or any suitable mechanism or structure capable of holding or carrying the sample 9 such that radiation emitted from the radiation source 2 penetrates the sample 9.

As shown in fig. 1, the sample stage 7 may be connected to one end of a support structure 8. The support structure 8 may have a variable shape or an adjustable structure such as a robotic arm in order to be able to adjust the position of the sample stage 7 in three dimensions.

In one embodiment, the sample stage 7 may be connected to the support structure 8 via a rotation mechanism 13 at the end of the support structure 8. The rotation mechanism 13 is rotatable about a central axis of the rotation mechanism 13 when driven, thereby rotating the sample stage 7 and the sample 9 thereon. In one embodiment, the central axis of the rotation mechanism 13 may be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Z in the vertical direction, i.e. corresponds to the horizontal direction. The support structure 8 may also comprise other driving mechanisms to control the sample stage 7 to achieve any position adjustment in three dimensions, such support structure 8 being easily achieved with a multi-degree of freedom robotic arm.

The other end of the support structure 8 may be fixed to the turntable 6 and may rotate with the turntable 6 about a longitudinal axis Z in the vertical direction.

In one embodiment, the support structure 8 may include suitable control and drive mechanisms. For example, the control mechanism may receive control instructions and/or control parameters from the control unit 10 and control the operation of the drive mechanism in accordance with the received instructions and/or parameters to cause a desired movement or a desired configuration of the support structure 8.

The turntable 6 may be provided on the base 1 and may be rotated about the longitudinal axis Z by an arbitrary angle or an angle within a predetermined range, for example, under the drive of electric power. In one embodiment, the power supply lines and/or control lines for the turntable 6 and the support structure 8 fixed to the turntable 6 may be connected to a power supply (not shown) and/or the controller 10 via, for example, slip rings. The turret 6 may receive control instructions and parameters from the control unit 10 via corresponding control lines or connection lines to rotate at a specified speed and/or angle; the support structure 8 may also receive control instructions and parameters from the control unit 10 via corresponding control lines or connecting lines in order to move the sample stage 7 to a specified position.

The detector 4 may receive radiation generated by the radiation source 2 and passing through the sample stage 7 and the sample 9 thereon and convert the received radiation into electrical signals. As shown in fig. 1, the radiation generated from the radiation source 2 and eventually reaching the detector 4 may be a cone beam.

The detector 4 and the radiation source 2 may be arranged on both sides of the horizontal plane in which the sample stage 7 is located, respectively, so that radiation generated by the radiation source 2 can pass through the sample stage 7 and the sample 9 thereon and be finally received by the detector 4. For example, in the case where the sample stage 7 is located, for example, below (e.g., directly below or obliquely below) the radiation source 2, the detector 4 may be disposed below (e.g., directly below or obliquely below) the sample stage 7.

The detector 4 may be mounted on a support structure 5, the support structure 5 being mountable to the base 1 through a central portion of the turntable 6. The support structure 5 may comprise a cross arm and a lifting mechanism. As shown in fig. 1, the cross arm and the lifting mechanism may be disposed perpendicular to each other. As indicated by the double arrow in the vertical direction in fig. 1, the lifting mechanism can pass through the central hole of the turntable 6 and connect the base 1 and the cross arm of the support structure 5, and can be lifted and lowered to adjust the distance from the cross arm of the support structure 5 to the base 1, thereby adjusting the relative positional relationship of the detector 4 on the cross arm of the support structure 5 and the base 1 or the radiation source 2.

The support structure 5 may further comprise a bracket arranged on the cross arm, and two ends of the bracket are respectively connected with the cross arm and the detector 4. As indicated by the double-headed arrow in the horizontal direction in fig. 1, the bracket can be moved back and forth on the cross arm along the extending direction of the cross arm (i.e., the horizontal direction). For example, in the example of fig. 1, the holder on the crossbar may be moved rightward from a position a near the left end of the crossbar to a position B near the right end of the crossbar, thereby adjusting the relative positional relationship of the detector 4 and the radiation source 2 in the horizontal direction.

In one embodiment, the range of movement of the carriage on the cross arm may not be symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis Z. For example, for both end points of the range over which the carriage is prescribed on the crossbar to be movable on the crossbar, the end point on the same side of the longitudinal axis Z as the radiation source 2 may be disposed directly below the radiation source 2, and the distance from the longitudinal axis Z to the other end point on the other side of the longitudinal axis Z may be greater or smaller than the distance from the end point to the longitudinal axis Z. Such a design facilitates convenient control of the relative positional relationship of the radiation source 2, sample 9 and detector 4 while supporting multiple scan modes simultaneously.

At the other end of the holder, the detector 4 may be connected to the holder via a spindle 11 arranged on the holder. As indicated by the double-headed arrow in the form of an arc in fig. 1, the detector 4 can be rotated about a rotation axis 11 through the imaging plane, thereby adjusting or changing the pitch angle of the surface of the detector 4 for receiving the radiation beam from the radiation source 2. In one embodiment, the extension direction of the shaft 11 may be perpendicular to the extension direction of the cross arm.

In one embodiment, the interior of the support structure 5 may include suitable control and drive mechanisms. For example, the control mechanism may receive control instructions and/or control parameters from the control unit 10 and, based on the received instructions and/or parameters, control the operation of the drive mechanism to cause the support structure 5 to perform actions such as lifting, traversing, and/or adjusting pitch angle, etc., to adjust the magnification of imaging, the imaging field of view, etc. in various scanning modes.

The support structure 5 may be controlled by the control unit 10 to control or adjust the detector 4 to face the radiation source 2 at any position such that radiation emitted from the radiation source 2 is able to impinge perpendicularly on the radiation receiving surface of the detector 4 along a straight line determined by the focal spot of the radiation source 2 and the centre of the detector 4. For example, the control unit 10 may determine the position of the radiation source 2, the angle of the radiation to be emitted by the radiation source 2 and the position of the sample stage 7 according to corresponding control parameters, and then determine the height of the support structure 5, the lateral position and the pitch angle of the detector 4 by simple geometrical calculations, and then perform actions on the support structure 5 such as lifting, lateral movement and/or adjusting the pitch angle such that the detector 4 faces the radiation source 2.

The supply lines and the data lines of the detector 4 may be connected to a power supply and control unit 10, respectively. In order to avoid winding, for example, the power supply lines and the data lines of the probe 4 may be connected to the power and control unit 10, respectively, through the central hole of the turret 6.

The control unit 10 may have any suitable processing means or processing component of data analysis and processing capability, such as a general purpose or special purpose computer including a general purpose or special purpose processor, and may be configured to perform various functions of motion control (e.g., deformation and/or adjustment and/or movement and/or rotation of any deformable or adjustable support structure in the device, etc.), radiation control (e.g., controlling the intensity and/or angle of radiation emitted by the radiation source 2, etc.), data acquisition (e.g., controlling the time and frequency of data acquisition, etc., by controlling the detector 2, the support structures 5 and 8, and the turntable 6, etc., and the fineness of the data acquired by the detector 2, etc.), projection data display, tomographic image reconstruction and display, data analysis and processing, etc.

According to various embodiments, the control unit 10 may communicate with other components in the device (e.g. the radiation source 2, the detector 4, the turret 6, the support structures 3, 5, 8, etc.) by wire (e.g. by means of control lines as described above) or wirelessly, in order to receive data and to send instructions and/or control parameters, etc.

For example, the control unit 10 may communicate with the support structure 5 in a wireless manner in order to send parameters to the support structure 5, for example relating to lifting, moving the cross arm, rotation of the shaft 11, in order to control the position and/or angle of the adjustment detector 4 relative to the radiation source 2.

In addition, the device may also include a power source (not shown) to power the various components in the device (e.g., the control unit 10, the radiation source 2, etc.). In other embodiments, each component in the device may be provided with a separate power source (e.g., a battery), or may be powered using wireless power technology, so that each component in the device can move more freely without limitation of physical wiring, and structures such as slip rings may be omitted.

The X-ray imaging device according to embodiments of the present disclosure is capable of supporting different imaging modes, such as a projection imaging mode, a CT imaging mode, and a CL imaging mode.

In projection imaging mode, the position and pitch angle of the detector 4 may be adjusted, for example manually or automatically by the control unit 10, so that the radiation generated by the radiation source 2 can pass through the sample 9 on the sample stage 7 in different directions, thereby acquiring projection data from different angles.

In CT imaging mode, the detector 4 may be adjusted directly under the radiation source 2, for example manually, or the detector 4 may be automatically controlled by the control unit 10 to move directly under the radiation source 2, for example position B in fig. 1. During scanning, the support structure 8 may be controlled to rotate about a transverse axis, thereby bringing the sample 9 on the sample stage 7 into rotation about the transverse axis. The sample 9 can be rotated by an arbitrary angle while ensuring that the sample 9 does not collide with other mechanical structures.

During a CT scan, the sample 9 may be rotated 360 degrees and the detector 4 is controlled to take a continuous or stepwise data acquisition. In the case of continuous data acquisition, the sample 9 can be kept in a rotating state all the time. In the case of step-wise data acquisition, the sample 9 may be rotated and stopped after a predetermined angle has elapsed, and then the detector 4 is controlled to acquire data; then, the sample 9 is rotated continuously and stopped after passing a predetermined angle which is the same as or different from the previous one, and then the detector 4 is controlled to collect data; this is repeated until sample 9 is rotated 360 degrees.

In order to avoid collisions, the total rotation angle of the sample 9 may also be made smaller than 360 degrees during the CT scan, thereby achieving a limited angle scan.

Then, the control unit 10 may receive projection data acquired through the CT scan and perform an image reconstruction algorithm, thereby obtaining a CT image.

If the sample 9 is a plate-like object such as a chip, the operation mode of the device can be switched to CL imaging mode.

In CL imaging mode, as shown in fig. 1, the support structure 8 may be controlled to adjust the position of the sample 9 such that the center of the region of interest of the sample 9 coincides with or is located near the longitudinal axis Z (e.g., the distance to the longitudinal axis Z is less than a predetermined threshold). The position and pitch angle of the detector 4 may then be adjusted such that a straight line passing through the focal spot of the radiation source 2 and the centre of the detector forms an angle with the longitudinal axis Z, e.g. position a in fig. 1. The included angle may be controlled to be greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees. At the same time, a cone-beam of radiation generated by the radiation source 2 can be made to cover at least the region of interest of the sample.

During CL scanning the radiation source 2 and detector 4 can be controlled to remain stationary and the sample stage 7 and the sample 9 on the sample stage 7 are rotated with the turret 6. The total rotation angle may be 360 degrees. In further embodiments, the total rotation angle may be less than 360 degrees or greater than 360 degrees.

The detector 4 may be controlled to adopt a continuous or step-wise data acquisition mode during CL scanning, as desired. In the case of continuous data acquisition, the sample 9 can be kept in a rotating state all the time. In the case of step-wise data acquisition, the sample 9 may be rotated and stopped after a predetermined angle has elapsed, and then the detector 4 is controlled to acquire data; then, the sample 9 is rotated continuously and stopped after passing a predetermined angle which is the same as or different from the previous one, and then the detector 4 is controlled to collect data; this is repeated until the sample 9 is rotated to the total rotation angle.

Then, the control unit 10 may receive the projection data acquired by the CL scan and perform an image reconstruction algorithm, thereby obtaining a CL image.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure have been described. However, the described embodiments are only some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form of the methods and systems described herein may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

1. An X-ray imaging apparatus comprising:

a turntable disposed on the base and rotating about a longitudinal axis in a vertical direction when driven, the turntable having a central aperture;

A first support structure passing through a central aperture of the turntable;

A detector connected to the base via the first support structure;

The second supporting structure is a mechanical arm, and one end of the mechanical arm is fixed on the turntable;

A rotation mechanism disposed at a distal end of the second support structure, the rotation mechanism rotating about a central axis of the rotation mechanism when driven, the central axis of the rotation mechanism being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; a sample stage connected to the second support structure via the rotation mechanism, the sample stage being connected to the turntable via the second support structure to rotate with the turntable about the longitudinal axis and to rotate about a central axis of the rotation mechanism following the rotation mechanism when the rotation mechanism is driven;

the third supporting structure is a mechanical arm, and one end of the mechanical arm is fixed on the base; and

A radiation source connected to the base via the third support structure,

Wherein the first supporting structure is positioned below the sample stage and comprises a lifting mechanism, a cross arm and a bracket, the cross arm is positioned between the sample stage and the turntable, the lifting mechanism penetrates through a middle hole of the turntable and is connected with the base and the cross arm, the bracket is movably arranged on the cross arm and is connected with the detector and the cross arm,

Wherein the sample stage is disposed below the radiation source, and the detector is disposed below the sample stage.

2. The X-ray imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector is connected to the support via a rotation shaft on the support to change a pitch angle by rotating about the rotation shaft.

3. The X-ray imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein a movable range of the carriage on the cross arm is asymmetric with respect to the longitudinal axis.

4. The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pitch angle of the detector is configured such that a straight line determined by a focal point of the radiation source and a center of the detector is perpendicular to a surface of the detector that receives radiation.

5. The X-ray imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising:

A control unit connected to one or more of the turntable, the detector, the radiation source, the first support structure, the second support structure and the third support structure by wired or wireless means.